I am lecturer at a multidisciplinary college where I specialize in the delivery of Literacy Studies instructions. I do use cloud-based applications for personal storage and for class purposes. For personal storage I use Google Docs and Gmail while Dropbox and WordPress are being used to store assignments and other class-related materials. I feel more […]
Continue reading Waterless Clouds Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
I’m currently teaching secondary Math (grades 8-10) at a Tech Immersion Program in Vancouver and studying part-time at the same time. This course is my 5th MET course (already!) and I’m planning to complete the MET program by April 2013. I use a variety of cloud-based applications as Math courses that I’m presently teaching are Tech […]
Continue reading Deb’s “CLOUD” Bio Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Hi, Deb, It sounds a bit like you share one of Jim’s main cloud concerns – upload speed. Without good speed in both directions, it becomes less useful.
As you know, some offline programs autosave, too, but, like you, I especially apreciate their autosave features when working with students. I can’t tell you how many times Corel Presentations or PowerPoint have crashed and lost info on kids – a program like Prezi autosaves so often that you almost forget that you ever had to keep saving as you went in mind.
I agree with you. Uploading speed for online programs (clouds) is much more appreciated than that for offline programs. I also experienced PowerPoint getting crashed while I was working on the first assignment. I broke out in a cold sweat because I didn’t save any of my work. Good thing is that I didn’t do a lot of work when it got crashed. What a relief!
Deb
I am currently taking my 1st, 2nd and 3rd MET courses this semester and have already learned a lot of information relating to delivering and storing information on the web. I use a variety of Cloud services including Google, Gmail, Googledocs, Skype, Facebook, Youtube, the list goes on. My biggest concern about using these services is the privacy […]
Continue reading Cloudy with a chance of technology? Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
I think that cloud computing and wireless student owned devices are the way things are going in education. Budgets just won’t allow for the continuous buying of technology. There are schools that exists now with a room full of VHS machines, TVs, VHS tapes and so one. I have seen computer graveyards and 1000s of feet of wiring in schools that connect to nothing. Older schools, who have been around are likely to have the remnants of many technologies. I think it is going to be going to a student owned device model with the school board helping to provide students who do not have devices with temporary equipment. Equity is a real issue but I have heard anecdotal evidence that even very low SES areas, 90%+ students have wireless devices. Almost every student in any given high school will have a cell phone, most of which are smartphones… I don’t have hard numbers and I would encourage anyone who has some real numbers from real schools to chime in…
I have seen a few schools like that myself, and it was interesting to see how much low-tech e-waste has accumulated in the Vancouver school district (the largest in the province, so it is understandable that when each item was purchased, it was needed) compared to the sleek and slim wireless technology found in North Van’s district. Switching from school-owned technology to student-owned requires less attention to what devices student do or don’t have any devices, and more acknowledging that classrooms can make do with the numerous devices most will bring in. If the class got ’em, use ’em rather than locking them in a cupboard/teacher’s desk until the end of the day. It’s the teacher’s attitude that needs to change, not so much the technology.
Very interesting road ahead. Is there a possibility that those clouds will burst and produce heavy and devastating showers later? Is this a method of control on the part of authorities?
Everton
I base my argument for businesses to get on the cloud bandwagon from an article I read in the Globe and Mail. The article states that there are real benefits for business and workers when people work from home. For example, “…almost 90 per cent of people polled who work from home say it has […]
Continue reading Cloud Benefits – Working from home Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
My brother has a consulting business in Calgary with an office space that seems to physically use a cloud concept. Hey have a few shared offices, but the meeting spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, secretary are shared with the other companies on that floor. They only use the office sometimes, working from home part of the time. There is something communal about the cloud that obviously provides economies of scale that provide benefits.
Emily
Hi Emily,
So the collaborative applications your brother uses are enough to make him feel like he is truly part of a working community?
Hi Murray and Emily,
I am a huge fan of the cloud as an off-site employee. It makes my day to day life so much easier and the systems become much smoother as a whole. For example, my colleagues find the network in the office to be somewhat slow on large documents that they are working with– this leads them to save a local copy and inevitably forget to upload the new document. With my stuff, I work directly in the cloud instead of having local copies. Cloud forces a bit more seamless a transition.
Emily, the concept that you describe is also known as hoteling (check out this information on hoteling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotelling_(office) ); I have never heard of it compared to cloud computing, but that is a really interesting parallel.
Kristopher
Interesting. Hoteling is popular in the field of consulting (my work industry) but the cloud isn’t so much because normally the consultant needs to work on the corporate LAN for security reasons. Isn’t it interesting that using cloud computing can be faster than a companies LAN. I wonder if we will get to a critical mass where the cloud computing data transfer speeds will start to degrade as LANs do when there is too much data transfer for the bandwidth available.
Hi Kristopher,
I know what you mean about files being much slower to open and edit on a server. I spent countless hours waiting for my report card documents to load while I was working on them a few years ago. It really ruins your momentum and train of thought. Then I realized that I could just load them on a USB and take them home, much faster. But, as you said, I always need to make sure I remember to upload to latest version to avoid confusion.
some companies I have worked for have a policy against using USB drives. I guess this isn’t a problem in the school system?
I couldn’t speak for all, but it’s A-OK in mine. In a gov’t department like Veterans’ Affairs, they are outright banned.
Hi Julie,
Do they ban USB drives because they think someone will accidentally load a virus or something from their home computer?
@murray12
Thank you for posting that info from the Globe and Mail. I thought I might mash it up a bit:
“…almost 90 per cent of students say it has made them more productive.”
“….schools find it easier to hold on to students until graduation who work in the cloud because those students tend to have more flexibility in their schedules for work and school.”
“….And the fewer computers a school has in the building, the less computer equipment they need to support, repair and pay for.”
These changes I made to the G&M quote are completely fictional but I think it illustrates how cloud computing can have an impact on many levels in schools. I think each of the changes I made would be predictable, reasonable outcomes of widespread cloud based computing in a school district.
Excellent remix of the G&M quotes. It actually sounds better from an educational side than the business side.
Great mash up Jim!
The security issue is a major concern even though there are trusted hosts out there. However, I will be very skeptical about the information I give up for storage. Many persons are of the view that this cloud concept is designed to provide governments better access to what individuals are engaging in. To them, it’s more of a security measure to facilitate global policing.
Everton
Hi Everton,
Do you think it would matter to these people if governments were only monitoring what an IP address is looking at, rather than the monitoring the “person” (name, address, etc.). Or, is their concern that governments are monitoring without permission, period?
After finishing ETEC522, Andrew is 2 courses away from completing the MET program. Since the beginning of this program, Andrew has noticed differences in the way the MET courses have been organized and the ways he himself has organized his time. To understand Andrew’s situation better, you need to know that he has a computer […]
Continue reading Weightless as a Cloud Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Good and essential point here. No Internet leaves you with nothing. Hopefully you loaded your iPad with solitaire or tetris.
Emily
You’re right, Emily, I do have a few games to keep me from falling asleep on the train. Also, if I need to write an email or something that evening, I sometimes get started using the iPad’s “notes” app and then email the text to myself when I get home to my wireless sanctuary.
Wow, Andrew and I seem to have a lot in common! Trading in bulky textbooks for hand size gadgets that allow me to complete all my assignments and readings. Who would have thought! Now all we need is for the expensive roaming fees to diminish and our problem will be history!
Jenaca
It really is weight off your mind and shoulders, eh. But, I wonder if inexpensive roaming fees is something we will ever receive. Or is there just too much money to be made?
Nice final phrase, Andrew.
You highlight the great need of infrastructure. Without it, things like mobiles / tablets in schools aren’t even a possibility. In my own school district, we ask / beg for wireless, for example, but only a few schools have small pockets of it. In fact, a first step for us is to have our own network / servers / storage. Right now, we’re tied into the health system, and depending on the day, one of us is often slowing the other one down or monopolizing IT technicians. We’d love to have a partitioned system, perhaps cloud-based… secure documents on one side, student files etc. on the other, open for free access!
As a small business owner I’ve been nervous about jumping onto the cloud bandwagon even though it seems to be cost efficient to do so. Maybe it’s the name cloud. There is something non-permanent about the name that makes me nervous about using it as a foundation for running my business. I’ve always thought a […]
Continue reading What is in a name? Cloud Computing. Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Hi, Julie – great post!
To me, the bookends of your piece resonated with me the most. I hadn’t previously thought how the term cloud could scare people off – that it carried with it suggested impermanence. It’s a bit of a lesson in how much the name of something can make or break it, no matter how good it is.
I like how you finish by looking at clouds from another perspective – how they follow you, and that they’re not inflexible. Perhaps how constant they are, even though they may move and change constantly.
Your thoughtfulness of the word itself had me thinking some other great cloud-based thoughts:
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way.
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way.
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It’s cloud’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all
– Joni Mitchell
Beautiful!
Julie,
I guess the name has to do with ever presence of the cloud despite one’s location. In addition, we have low and high clouds indicating that some are out of reach and well secured.
Everton
Hi Everton,
The name definitely seems to be evoking lots of thought and discussion on what the new type of computing experience means. When I first heard about the cloud, last year while researching James Cameron’s film Avatar (most of the post-production was done on IBM’s newly-created Gaia cloud system), I admit I was a bit confused – isn’t that just a fancy name for what the Internet already does? The more I looked into it, better I understood how it is more than just connecting computers wirelessly. Each device, from tiny handhelds to tallest CPU tower, is connected in a nebulous way, can easily join with other devices and other users, or remain independent systems. Whether they are high or low clouds, as you mention, is a comforting way of feeling solid and secure in such an intangible atmosphere.
Of course, if were are bringing poetry into the discussion, I wouldn’t be me without mentioning You-know-who… how Antony talks about cloud formations: “That which is now a horse, even with a thought the rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct, as water is in water.” (A&C, IV, xiv, 9-11) and how the flow of information, all that important data that we keep on various devices can vanish somewhere safe until it is needed again.
Kyle
I use a number of Cloud services (Google, Apple, Dropbox, Youtube, etc.); Google really exemplifies cloud computing and Apple has made it amazing. Google houses all of my mail (as of yesterday ALL of it) and many documents for assignments and personal life. There hasn’t been the same leap in my professional world however. Apple, […]
Continue reading Seeing things in the clouds… Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Syncing between devices is a benefit that can’t be understated. We got a new apple tv update yesterday, and now I can steam directly from my iPad to my tv. Apple has definitely positioned themselves to have their customers buying everything they put out by making it all work together so easily and intuitively.
Emily
You’re completely right– we just got a new iMac (feeling all grown up now that we are moving away from the required laptop of school). With the integration and syncing possibilities, I don’t think it will be long until we will connect with an AppleTV. iPads? If anyone is giving them away I will take two. Apple has taken the cloud to a whole new level, and what’s more, they have been working their way towards it for years. The transfer of media from discs and hardware to essentially a cloud download system through iTunes that is doing away with traditional strategies of sharing.
Kristopher
I have used a few Apple devices, but have never owned one or used the ones I have to their full potential. I had no idea the new devices could do things like have a photo taken by one device appear on others. Who knows… if I ever buy an Apple product, maybe I’ll get hooked by their abilities (especially the cloud & syncing ones).
Still… something holds me back, even more, perhaps, than being forced to use Apple formats / programs…
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
What are the benefits to converting a business or school district to cloud computing? This is a difficult question. The question assumes that I am convinced that clouding computing is a solution that I would recommend for all my clients or at least that is my humble interpretation. All technologies have its strengths and weaknesses. […]
Continue reading Is cloud computing for all ? Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
“Is cloud computing really safe?”
That’s a very good question that you asked, but I don’t have a solid answer to the question.
I’ve read several posts so far and all of them are concerned about security and privacy. Before I read your post, I thought it’d be safe enough if a person could make his/her work private when he/she selects a saving option (Most cloud apps do have that feature). However, it become a problem if someone hacks the account. That’s probably why the clouds recommend their members to have “strong” password. For some clouds, they do not let people to become their members unless they have a password with a combination of letters (Capital and small), numebrs, and symbols. Is it safe enough? I don’t know. But I can tell that it has become “safer” than maybe 5, 10 years ago. The cloud computing companies will have to come up with ideas and ways to improve the privacy-and-secutiry-related issues.
Deb
Your concerns about security in the cloud are actually similar to those that I had myself when I initially started using cloud-based applications and storage years ago. It is actually still among the first questions that people ask when someone mentions cloud computing, and in most instances it is mostly due to the fact that there is a lot of misinformation available on the internet. 🙂
I believe that there’s always going to be a risk about someone else accessing your files, whether they are stored in the cloud or on your personal computer. It could be from hackers, malware, or by simply just losing your laptop or mobile device. While major incidents are commonly covered by the media, I think for those people who are smart about their account security the possibility of someone gaining access to their files is rare. To put it more simply, let’s look at the misconception about data security (cloud versus localized storage) to that of people feeling that car travel is safer than air travel. In reality, according to the National Safety Council, the odds of dying in a car accident are 1 in 85 (lifetime) versus 1 in 5,862 (lifetime) for dying in a plane accident. It isn’t to say that the cloud is 100% safe, but if you take precautions your data is at least as safe as storing everything on your personal computer. The exception of course is that you’re never going to leave your cloud at the coffee shop. 🙂
Security really starts and ends with the end user. If you have 8-12 character passwords that include a blend of capital letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. !BkTu8$5), the likelihood of your account being accessed would be exponentially lower in comparison to using your children’s names or birthdays.
Security is always improving though, especially for the major cloud computing providers. For instance, Google now has an extra step of security where whenever you log into your account you have to verify it is you by presenting your verification code that is sent to your mobile phone ( http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=guide.cs&guide=1056283&rd=1).
You make some really good points in your outline. What truly is the cost of cloud computing to the end users versus the corporation. I do not think that anything is ever 100% secure – even with tight passwords. Is it easier to hack into someone’s personal computer versus cloud computing? And what information do I really need to store or share? (I think we store way too much information as evidenced by my Inbox at work).
I do not think there are any easy answers to any of the above, just valid information that needs to be balanced with informative choices.
Ha! What more can I add to those applications listed so thoroughly by Angela? With the exception of Edublogs, I use the exact same suite of cloud tools, as well as Glogster and GoogleDocs with my students. I love the freedom that the cloud gives me when students can access their projects online from home […]
Continue reading Clouds clear confusion! Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
I’m not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but you can actually publish the file(s) directly to the web through Google Docs. You do so by selecting “File” then “Publish to the Web”. It will give you a URL that you can give people to access your page. It does not change your visibility settings though, so only those who have permission to edit will be able to do so but anybody with the link will be able to see your page(s). It also updates everything automatically when you edit the Google Doc. You can read more here https://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=183965
Thanks Ashley,
Setting up the set of class Googledocs alone would be easier than setting up individual emails, as well. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you, Ashley.
I didn’t know either that you can publish the file to the web through Google Docs.
Good information to know.
Deb
Currently I am taking my 9th and 10th MET courses. Through MET I have learned amazingly how to deliver and store information in the Web. Currently I am using: GoogleDocs, GoogleSites, Prezi, Animoto, Glogster, Youtube, Gmail, UBC blogs, Edublogs and Wikispaces. With my students I am currently using Glogster. One of the issues I try […]
Continue reading The Cloud Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Yes, student safety and security is so important. It is sometimes so easy to ignore these issues in the bright light of Web 2.0… There seems to be just so much to offer teachers and students there… but there are very real dangers, especially in light of the Patriot Law in the USA that allows government agencies full access to your personal information and data on any server physically located within its borders… Most of the Web 2.0 tools we enjoy in Canada, and in the world, are running on servers located in the USA.
on a practical hand, it’s for this reason that UBC no longer allows faculty to communicate with students via (faculty) gmail accounts. on a more theoretical hand, that law quite interestingly entangles the virtual and actual worlds – and demonstrates that there is a geography and a geopolitics to that which we are led to believe is off of the ground (the “cloud.”)
Angela,
I agree with you that we educators should “recommend [our students] not to expose themselves in the content they are publishing and in the way they interact with others”. I like how most of these cloud-based apps allow us to select whether we want to make the contents private or public. I realize that most of my students don’t take these issues seriously when they post up their work. They also don’t realize how much they are exposed to public. Educating our students about security and privacy issues is also very important.
Deb
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
bcourey 12:48 pm on October 26, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Everton, sounds like a very good reason to head into the clouds! Or was it in using these cloud applications that you had the problems?
Everton Walker 6:34 pm on October 26, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
bcourey,
No. I had those problems when I was banking on hard drives and t-drives etc.
Everton
andrea 6:47 pm on October 26, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Everton, good point about the risk of viruses and crashes. Do you think that the reliability of cloud systems is better than local storage?
Andrea
Everton Walker 9:17 pm on October 26, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Andrea,
I do believe it is more reliable than local storage. The only thing that is missing is the closeness and ownership of my files. In the clouds, they are at the mercy of the hosts which have the know-how and expertise to secure them.
Everton